Finding My Babe
by babesrus2
Summary: Ranger is the best of the best. He needs all his skills to find his Babe. You should read 'The Terrorist' first to understand this story. This is Part Two of a trilogy.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: If you recognize them, they belong to Janet.**

Learning to Live

Stephanie stepped outside. Her shift was over and she was ready to head home. Walking over to her Harley, she placed her purse, her briefcase and her small duffle in the large saddle bags. Unhooking her helmet, she placed it over her head. She straddled the bike with an air of confidence, squeezed the clutch with her left hand and then pressed the starter button with her right thumb. The engine rumbled to life.

A small smile came over her face. Kicking back the side stand, she put it into gear, and pulled out. Riding along the coast highway, her stressed muscles began to relax. Her straight honey brown hair hung out from under the helmet and her brown eyes gazed from behind her goggles.

Every day she felt this way, she took a very long, long, ride home. The tassels on her motorcycle jacket flapped in the wind. Her chaps kept her legs warm from the cool ocean breeze. Her deerskin gloves protected her hands from the raw wind and her body relaxed. Life was good.

Feeling much better, Stephanie pulled into her garage and closed the door with her fob. Beside the bike was a newish blue Honda Civic. Stephanie walked to the door into her townhouse, unlocked it and disconnecting the alarm she stepped in.

Her cat, Q sat waiting for her at the door. She was a calico with an attitude. Stephanie had found her laying on her front step one morning. She was tiny, dirty and bleeding. Stephanie had taken her in and cleaned her up. She had taken her to the neighborhood vet and had her checked over. The vet had said she was about four months old and it looked like she had had a run in with a dog. Stephanie nursed her back to health.

She had put up Found Cat signs in the immediate neighborhood but there was no response. Stephanie suspected she had been living wild for some time. It appeared that Stephanie had another pet. Now they were best of friends and Q slept on her pillow by her head every night.

Stephanie put her bags down on the hallway bench with a sigh. Today had been a bit of a downer. One of her clients had just been sentenced for another crime and she was now looking at some serious prison time.

Annabelle Martin was a former ho who had tried to turn her life around. Stephanie had related to her right off the bat, knowing Lula and her struggles. Annabelle had been doing so well, but had come upon hard times. Elizabeth Fry Boston had tried to help her look for another job and a new place to stay.

Unfortunately, Annabelle had taken matters into her own hands. She had obtained a gun and she had attempted an armed robbery of a convenience store late at night. Unfortunately, there was an off duty police officer in the confectionary picking up some ice cream on the way home. He tackled her and she was arrested on the spot.

She had just been sentenced to five years in the women's penitentiary .

Stephanie had spoken to Annabelle after the sentence was handed down and before she was taken away. Annabelle was stoic when she met with her. She felt her life was worthless . Her only friends were in the ho community. She was living in a women's homeless shelter and had lost her job again. She had no money.

Annabelle tried to reassure Stephanie that she appreciated all that she had done for her. Stephanie's heart broke when Annabelle asked her not to visit. She looked so despondent.

Stephanie was worried she might do something foolish while in prison. She had contacted the Sherriff with her concerns. They promised to advise the warden but expressed doubt that much would be done. The prisons were full of depressed prisoners and she was just one more on the list.

Stephanie puttered in the kitchen. She had learned to do some cooking and had some definite comfort food favorites. Today looked like it was going to be mac and cheese. She put the ingredients together and popped the casserole in the oven then sat on the sofa with Q beside her. Her hand stroked the cat and immediately a ragged purr was heard. Q had a strong voice.

Stephanie thought back through the past seven months. She had stepped off the plane from New York with a whole new identity. She was now the brand new owner of a mid size townhome, a used car, a motorcycle and a good job. Boston was a great place to live. She had spent her time off getting to know her new city and feel comfortable in it.

Stephanie was busy. She worked full time with the Elizabeth Fry Society . She also volunteered at a senior's home down the street. She was taking self defense courses to keep up her skills and was enrolled in a zumba class for her cardio. She had no time to sit down and feel sorry for herself which was what she wanted. She wanted to fall into bed exhausted and wake up the next day with things to do.

Work was fulfilling with little accomplishments along the way. Her clients were generally willing to try new things to turn their lives around and the wall of honor was growing each week with lots of success stories. Success was a relative thing. It could be getting short listed for a job and being interviewed. It could be getting out of a bad living situation into a more secure environment. It could be making contact with a family member who had previously pushed them away.

She was a member of a group of Harley riders who loved to ride on the weekend. They would meet for coffee and ride somewhere for lunch. It was a loose group of friends. There was no stress if one could not make it and if it rained, well they would re-schedule. It was an easy association.

She answered to Sandy now with ease. Her handler, Maurice only checked in with her every month or so. He had mentioned that he was getting ready to leave her on her own with only a phone call needed for some emergency. She felt comfortable with her lot in life. Her incarceration and interrogation was now only a distant memory.

Knowing that her life would never be easy, Stephanie wondered how long her fairy tale life would continue. She had an uneasy feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

**The usual disclaimer. The recognizable characters belong to Janet.**

Rangeman Arrives.

Next morning Stephanie pulled into her assigned parking spot. She had just swung her leg over the bike. Her helmet was still on and her back was to the front door. There was a big, black SUV sitting in the visitor's lot. She could feel beads of perspiration form on her forehead. Moving carefully, she climbed back on the bike and started it up. Pulling out of the lot as quietly as she could, she parked down the street and waited.

Minutes passed. Finally the front door opened and three people came out. Stephanie saw the Director shake hands with both men and walk back into the building. The men walked to their truck and climbed in. She heard the motor start and observed the truck drive away.

Stephanie sat in shock. Had they found her? Had her tracks not been obliterated? Questions tumbled over and over in her mind. What should she do? Her first inclination was to start up the bike and flee. Her hands were shaking and her breath came out in ragged gulps.

Calming herself, she started the bike again and drove back to her spot. Stephanie didn't want to pull the plug on this life just yet. She climbed off again and stowed her helmet in the saddle bag. She walked on unsteady legs into the employee's entrance and headed for the locker room. All the way, her eyes darted to the left and right. She quickly changed out of her riding clothes and into her street clothes and headed for her office.

There was a soft knock on the door. Stephanie looked up. The Director was standing in her doorway. She came in and closed the door. Stephanie looked at her in surprise. To her knowledge she had never had a closed door conversation in all the time she had been there.

"Morning Sandy", came the cheerful voice. "I was hoping you would have been here sooner. I had some visitors who wanted to chat with you."

Stephanie mentally gulped. "Sorry, Patricia, I had some ugly traffic this morning and got hung up. What did they want?"

Patricia sat down in the guest chair. She had a file folder in her hand. "I contacted a security company last week about upgrading our security system. That break-in last month proved how inadequate our current set up is. They came to check over the building and gave me a quote on something more secure. I just signed the contract."

Stephanie mentally gasped. Oh this was bad, very, very bad. She did not know any of the men from Boston, but knew that the core team always made stops at the satellite offices to check things out. She was already mentally packing. Where should she go now? Schooling her face into a cheerful expression, she looked at Patricia. "Why do you need me? You can handle it better than anyone and could answer their questions."

Patricia looked at her. Something had flashed in her memory. She remembered that when Sandy had come, she was nervous about everything. She was hiding something. It had taken this long to even get a ghost of a smile out of her.

The clients were not the only ones needing support. Her Financial Officer and Client Counsellor also had hidden baggage. Patricia had been waiting for Stephanie to loosen up a bit and trust her. The look on her face confirmed that she would not be volunteering anything anytime soon.

Treading very carefully now, Patricia spoke. "This company is called Rangeman. They are a top-notch security company and come very well recommended. They are extremely discrete. They will require a complete list of all our employees for their files. As part of their services, they perform security checks quarterly. Since we have very unique skills for our jobs, I have asked them to confirm that all employees be checked for hidden discrepancies. It is for the safety of our clients."

Stephanie nodded. She was certainly well aware of the services and the in-depth screening that Rangeman was famous for. Trying to calm herself, she looked at Patricia. "When do you need the list for? I have to do payroll and the monthly schedule today."

Patricia nodded. "Take your time, Sandy. They said they will be back sometime next week. If you want, you can give it to them then, or leave it with me." She waited for the reply.

Stephanie looked down. "If you don't mind, I will give it to you. I have a new client that I am worried about. I have her on speed-dial and she has been having a tough time. The half-way house did not do her any favors and she is afraid of everything. She is having nightmares at night and panic attacks during the day. I have spent a lot of time with her and want to stay open ready to leave at a moment's notice."

The Director nodded. That was the case with the majority of clients. Coming out of prison, especially after a long period of incarceration, they had no idea what to expect in the outside world. She could respect that Sandy was on call. She would make it up to her soon.

She had heard Sandy talk of a bike rally somewhere in South Dakota. She thought it sounded like Sturgis. It was somewhere in the Black Hills. If she was 20 years younger, she thought it might sound like fun.

Patricia stood up. She walked to the door. Looking back, she asked, "Did you want to do lunch today? I have nothing booked for this afternoon. I was hoping for some company so that I wouldn't look like an old spinster. I thought that that nice Italian restaurant on American Legion Highway would be good. Care to join me?"

Stephanie nodded. They had begun to have a few lunches together. Patricia was an easy lunch companion and had lots of life experiences. She was willing to share hers and not push that Stephanie was not willing to share hers.

Sometimes Stephanie wondered how much she really knew about her Director?

"OK, sounds good, but if I get called away, you understand why, right?" Patricia nodded. Sandy was a good worker and very popular with the clients. She really listened to them and took an interest in their lives.

Patricia opened the door and walked out.

~~~oOo~~~

Stephanie stood up and went to the door. She peeked out. The main office was deserted. Closing the door quietly, she took her personal cell phone out of her purse. She punched in the number from memory. Two rings later there was an answer. Maurice got right to the point. "What's wrong?" Stephanie explained as quietly as she could.

There was silence on the line. Maurice spoke. "I'll get back to you tonight. We have to beef up your background. Rangeman is very, very thorough. It could be trouble for you." He hung up. Stephanie put her cell phone back in her purse.

There would be no leisurely ride home tonight. She would see what he had to say. She wondered if Q liked long car rides.

**Ranger has not dropped off the face of the earth. He arrives tomorrow!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: all recognizable characters belong to Janet.**

Fingerpointing

Ranger sighed. He had done more of that in the past seven months than ever before in his entire life. He sat at his desk. There were piles of papers everywhere. He had just returned from another mission. Only Tank knew that that was the final one. He would tell his core team tomorrow.

Tank had picked him up at the airport. He stood with his back to the wall at parade rest watching the activity waiting for Ranger to walk through the security gates. They shook hands and walked to the Hummer. Tank looked sideways at his best friend. He looked tired. He had lost weight and was walking with a limp. His hair was crudely cut, making Tank suspect that he had done it himself.

Ranger was silent. Tank spoke first. "No." Ranger's eyebrow went up. He spoke softly. "What do you mean, No?" Tank kept on walking. "I knew you would eventually ask me if we had found the Bomber. I beat you to it. No we have not. No sign, no trail, no nothing."

Ranger grimaced. He had been called. He was packing when Stephanie's letter was delivered to the front desk. Tank had brought it up and had given him the letter. Ranger had barely enough time to read it before he had been escorted onto a helicopter on the roof. He had been away for over six months.

He had had no opportunity to contact Tank for an update. He had worried for months.

He could recite that letter word for word. He had let Manny and Tank read it. Tank had looked stricken. He hated what Little Girl had said. He took some solace in the fact that she had understood his feelings on traitors and what harm it had done to missions in the past. He would give anything to be able to take back that day.

Ranger received slaps on the back and handshakes as he arrived on five. His men appeared glad to see him. They believed in their hearts that now he was back they could really get down to seriously hunting for their friend.

Word had leaked out about her never wanting to see them again and each man had grimaced painfully. It just made them more anxious to find her and try to change her mind. They understood about her never wanting to return to Trenton. Hell, most of them were ready to move in a heartbeat if she would come back to the company in another location.

Ranger had locked himself in his 7th floor apartment upon arrival. His nerves were stretched tight and he needed to keep away for a day or so to re-group. This was not surprising. Ranger had insisted that any man returning from a mission take some down time at one of the Rangeman properties and re-acclimate themselves back into the civilian world.

Sometimes it took only a few days, sometimes it took more. There was never any pressure to rush. The men would return when they were ready.

Ella had given him her standard greeting. It felt good to start to slip back into the routine and he revelled in the comfort of less life and death decisions.

He felt relieved that that had been his final mission. The government agencies had tried unsuccessfully to have him commit to more with the promise of even more money. Damn, he had more than enough money. What he really wanted and needed was his Babe, and he would move heaven and earth to find her.

He was the best of the best, hadn't she called him that?

He glossed over the fact that she had also asked that he not try to find her. A little detail like being put in the Witness Protection Program was not going to stop him. She was not in danger. She just didn't want to be hurt again.

~~~oOo~~~

Stephanie worked in her office all morning. She had the payroll done and was just finishing up the new schedule. She glanced at her clock. It was almost time for lunch. Finally putting on the finishing touches she pressed send and started it on its way to Patricia for final approval. Patricia buzzed her office. They agreed to meet at the restaurant in an hour. They would take their own vehicles. Both of them were on call and the need to dash away was always uppermost on their minds.

Stephanie climbed on her bike. It rumbled to life. She never failed to smile at the unique sound that a good old American motorcycle like the Harley made. It had a noise all its own. Once a Harley owner, always a Harley owner was her new motto. She remembered the Ducati when she had lived with Joe. It was a great bike, but it definitely was not a Harley!

Jamming it into gear she took off. The sun was shining and it was going to be warm today. Stephanie wished that she did not have to rush home. A ride by the ocean would have been lovely. She had been looking forward to riding up and down the ocean highways. Now uncertainty clouded her judgement. What would Maurice have to say to her?

She came to the restaurant. It was a little hole in the wall establishment, but the food was splendid. It reminded her of Pino's. Banishing that thought, Stephanie stepped off the bike. Patricia was already there. She was sitting at a table in the back. Funny, she always sat with her back to the wall, just like Ranger. Stephanie had kidded her on her caution and Patricia had laughed. It was another of her life secrets that hopefully Stephanie might hear about some day. She got the feeling that Patricia had a dark past.

Sitting at the table, they chatted easily. There were safe subjects, and there were subjects they never broached. Patricia talked about her birds and Stephanie talked about her cat. They discussed where they would like to travel when they had the time and money and companions. They talked about cars they had had and would like in the future.

They talked some about work and how challenging it was, but at the same time, how gratifying it was when clients got it together. They talked about the constant fight to secure funds to continue. Elizabeth Fry was a wonderful organization, but it depended totally on donations and grants. Patricia was constantly phoning and visiting and pleading for more funds so that she could staff the office and provide quality care to the clients.

In between talking they had polished off huge meatball subs. They were relaxing over coffee when Stephanie's phone rang. She put down her cup. It was her client. Stephanie was now in counsellor mode. Opening up the connection, she said, "This is Sandy. How can I help you?" A whimper was heard over the phone. Stephanie was already on her feet. Patricia gestured that she had the bill and to take off.

Stephanie took her call outside. She was already stuffing her purse in her saddle bag and had her helmet in her hand. She was talking quietly and comfortingly to Jessica. She could hear the terror in her voice. She was going to need some serious hand-holding before today was over. Stephanie ended her call saying that she was on her way and hopped on the bike. She roared out of the lot.

Patricia made her way back to the office. The big black truck was back in her lot. She slid from her vehicle and the doors on the truck opened. Two men climbed out and met her at her SUV. "We need to get one more set of dimensions and a few more photos. Can we finish it now and we can finalize everything?" Patricia nodded and led the way to the building.

One of the men spoke, "Do you have the employee list so that we can start on a full rundown?" Patricia preceded them into the outer office. As they were getting more pictures and dimensions, she printed off the names.

Handing the sheets to them, she thanked them again for coming on short notice. They left and she attacked the mountain of paper once again. The afternoon flew by. She did not see or hear Sandy come back before she left for the day.

Stephanie rolled into her garage. She turned off the machine and just sat there. Her body visibly sagged. She felt like she was on an adrenaline crash.

It had been a close call. Jessica had taken a whole bottle of pills and she had arrived just in time. She had called 911 and they had taken her to the hospital. Jessica was resting overnight in the Psych ward. They would be doing a complete work up and maybe she would now get the help she so desperately needed.

Stephanie would call the ward later tonight. Jessica was under suicide watch and was sleeping.

Maurice was waiting for her as she walked into the house. Stephanie steeled herself. She wondered if she would even have time to pack.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Just borrowing them Janet. **

Stephanies Concern

Maurice was petting Q. He had made himself a cup of tea from the brew station. Stephanie put her gear on the bench and removed her boots. She prepared a coffee and sat in the wing chair opposite him. She tried to relax.

Maurice had never been one to mince words. Today was no different. "I checked on your background and beefed up your file as much as I could. I think you should be good to go. We've been doing this a long time and very rarely has it failed us. I have a folder with the new information. Check it out. You should be able to insert the new information easily. I don't think you should pack Q's food anytime soon. I feel confident they will not find anything."

Stephanie relaxed just a little. She reached for the file. She perused it quickly. There were some changes, but more additions. She nodded. At first glance it looked good. She hoped it would be enough.

Looking up at Maurice she stated, "and if it's not. I am out of here. You get to clean up the mess. I will disappear and nobody will know where I am going. I've done searches enough to know what flags and what doesn't."

Maurice stood up. He gave Q a last pat and headed for the door. "Trust us, we know what we are doing." He walked out the door, closing it quietly behind him.

Stephanie continued to sit in her chair. She was beginning to get a bit annoyed at Maurice's attitude. She appreciated all that he had done for her, but he always talked to her in a condescending tone. She wondered how long she would be dealing with him.

Q had jumped down from the sofa and hopped into her lap. Lazily, she massaged Q's ears and rubbed under her chin. A loud purr could be heard. Stephanie chuckled. Q had never failed her and her actions calmed the tension in the room. Finishing her coffee, she headed for the kitchen to make supper. She had a zumba class and needed to get going.

~~~oOo~~~

Ranger came out of Bobby's office. He had had a complete check up as per protocol after a mission. He had briefed Bobby on his injury. Bobby had put him on a restricted schedule in the gym and in the field allowing his body to heal.

He had met with the core team earlier and let them know that he was done with missions. His contract was complete. This last one had been a close call. He had felt real fear for one of the few times in his life. He had always believed that he would perish on a mission, but back then he had nobody and nothing he needed to return to.

Now he had Rangeman and his Babe. He knew that Tank had Rangeman covered but he had unfinished business with Stephanie. That whole mess had left an ugly taste in his mouth.

He was hurting for her. She was out there somewhere with no lifeline. He knew how important her family and friends had been and while her family was now not in her life, they had occupied a special place in her heart.

He remembered the words in the letter. She said she forgave him. He wanted, no needed to find her and apologize.

He remembered that awful day. He would never forget how she looked as Homeland Security had cuffed her and taken her away.

He had tried so hard to find out where she was and plead her case. He was sure that she had not been involved. His inquiries had been ignored.

He vowed that someday he would find the person in charge and set them straight on procedures. They appeared to wander around with a false sense of importance. Guilty until proven innocent, guilty until we think you are innocent.

Ranger shook his head. He needed a plan. He decided that he would approach this like a mission. Get the evidence, and track the objective.

He had his mission statement. He was going to find his Babe.

Ranger wondered if Stephanie had ever contacted Mary Lou. He would check that out.

Tank had mentioned that Connie and Lula missed her deeply but had never received a note from her. Tank suspected that since he and Lula were together, they never would. That also hurt. Those three had had a very good relationship and an easy friendship.

Ranger was reticent to contact Valerie. Rangeman had received a call from her while he was away. The recorded message was on his phone upon his arrival. She had made no effort to hide her disgust at him. He was involved with the government, that's all she knew. She blamed him for her families' imprisonment. She blamed Stephanie for escaping Trenton and leaving her to handle the gossip and the innuendo. The Burg grapevine had had a field day for weeks. She had turned into a very bitter woman.

Ranger thought of their relationship. Stephanie had appeared comfortable with Rangers' refusal to commit fully. Sure, they had great sex, but it was more than that. They acted like they were friends too. They enjoyed each other's company. They had many meals together on 7. She stayed at his place often enough he had permanently emptied half of his closet for her clothes. They went out for dinners and dancing. They attended concerts and plays. They had taken a few weekend trips away from the hustle and bustle of the city. He had taken her to meet his family in Miami, once. He shook his head. Poor Stephanie. She had been practically devoured by his sisters. They admitted later that they were already planning a wedding.

He climbed into his Porsche and left the garage. He drove past her apartment and by her parent's house. There were new people in each place.

There were children's toys scattered on the front lawn of the house and he could hear laughter. Driving down the back alley he noticed the garage was gone. Frank had had the whole inside refurbished for his hidden storage and it had been impossible to remove it safely. A child's swing now sat on the dirt. They had even removed the cement pad.

Stephanie's apartment had different curtains in the windows. He assumed that someone older had moved in. It was probably now a senior's apartment. He hoped they had some spunk. That apartment had seen a lot. Rangeman employees had observed a moving truck take away all her possessions. They had been told that it would all be tagged as evidence.

Next he headed for Mary Lou's house. He knew it was rude to just drop in, but she would understand. Mary Lou was probably one of the most grounded females he had ever met, other than his mom and Tia Ella. He pulled up to her house and climbed stiffly out of the car.

Mary Lou met him at the door. She must have that Burg radar sensing visitors. She looked at him. Never one to miss a detail she led him into the living room. "Welcome back Ranger. I'm assuming you just got back from a mission. You look tired." She headed to the kitchen and brought back two bottles of water and handed one to him. He sat down heavily in a chair. She sat down on the sofa facing him. Mary Lou studied Ranger. He looked different this time.

Finally after downing most of his bottle of water, Ranger spoke. "Did you receive a letter from Stephanie?"

Mary Lou looked over at Rex in his cage. He had taken the change in care givers in stride and was doing well. Her family had had Rex enough times that they knew what he wanted and liked and he was one pampered pet. The boys loved him and they would carry him around on their shoulders. He rarely bit them now. He was getting quite old for a hamster and they would look after him for as long as it took.

She chose her words carefully. "I got an envelope handed to me. I had the impression that she was long gone before it ever came. If you want, you can read it."

Ranger shook his head. His had been so heart wrenching he didn't even want to guess what hers had said. They had been the very best of friends for most of their lives. Their friendship was like his and Tank's.

Ranger could see the pain and sadness in her eyes. He stood up. Mary Lou also rose to her feet. "Are you going to find our girl?" Ranger looked at her. He nodded his head.

Mary Lou smiled. "Good. I know she will never come back to Trenton, but that doesn't mean we can't travel to her, right?" Ranger smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I only want to borrow those amazing characters Janet.**

Harley Riders Unite

Weeks passed. Stephanie's case load changed. She would have new clients assigned and others taken off. Some had moved away; one had unfortunately died.

Jessica had been one of her saddest cases. She had signed herself out of the care facility. The police found her body at the bus station two days later.

Stephanie stood silently at the graveside ceremony. There were a handful of people attending. Some of Jessica's friends were there. She had distanced herself from all her relatives some time ago and nobody had attended the ceremony.

Patricia and Stephanie stood in silence as the blessing was spoken. They shook hands with the other attendees and headed slowly to their cars. Patricia stood by her vehicle. Stephanie was parked behind hers.

"Take some days off. You deserve them. Let the highway take you somewhere fun. Abby will take good care of Q. Come back when you are ready. I can handle the paperwork. The other girls have your caseload. I want a souvenir from this Sturgis place."

Steph smiled. She was heading to the bike rally with some of her Harley friends. It would be a long trip. It was 1800 miles away. There were six bikes going. They had loaded them into the enclosed trailer the night before and were leaving tomorrow. They would pick her up at 4 am.

Stephanie's lip curled. There should be a law about being awake before 10 am. They would take turns driving and go straight through. Some of the group were camping, and some were hotelling. She was not, repeat, not sleeping in a tent. She hated camping. There were spiders out there.

Stephanie headed home. Her bag was already packed except for her last minute necessities. She was travelling light. She had left some room for souvenirs. It sounded like it would be fun. She had never participated in anything like this and figured it would be quite the eye opener. She was going into this with an open mind.

One of the other riders was also female. Marlo had been riding for a long time. She was an army nurse who had served in XXXistan. She was now working at the VA hospital. Marlo was a no nonsense kind of gal who told it like it was. Her mouth had absolutely no filter. Working in the military had given her a hard edge, but beneath the rough exterior she was a lot of fun.

Stephanie had watched the Rangeman employees install the new system in the building. She had not recognized any of the men. They went about their business with an air of professionalism that brooked no argument.

The women had remarked on their physiques in the lunch room. Some of the girls had tried to slip their phone numbers to the guys but they had all been rebuffed. The men had finished installing the equipment and had left.

The staff had all taken part in a training session on how it worked and what was and was not being monitored. Stephanie had participated with everyone else.

She had carefully pinpointed where the cameras were and mentally made notes on their coverage. She was always careful not to look up at the cameras. She was sure with her new look that she would not be recognized but it was still a good idea not to draw attention to herself.

Her fears that her background check would come up flagged lessened as time went on. She was confident that Maurice had padded it sufficiently that there would be no problem. As time went on, she had relaxed. Her life continued on.

She continued to ride with her friends and also alone. She continued with her classes. It was now summer and she and Q had spent a lot of time puttering around the outside of the house planting and tending the flowers and mowing the lawn. She had always loved to do that. She loved the smell of freshly mowed grass.

Four am arrived and Stephanie was standing by the door. Saying that she was totally awake was pushing it a bit, but at least she was not driving the first part. She could finish sleeping in the truck. The rig pulled up and she hopped in. Q was safe at a co-workers place and her house was alarmed to keep out intruders. She relaxed as she settled into her seat. Quickly she fell asleep.

~~~oOo~~~

Ranger was getting desperate. He had checked out all the possible leads. Stephanie had dropped off the face of the earth. It was now ten months since he had last seen her. Every day the trail was getting colder.

He decided to take a visit to some of the other offices. He liked to pop in unannounced. He would ride along to some of the accounts and check on how they were being handled. He took pride in quality work and wanted to keep it that way.

Tank had booked him to Miami. He would visit with his family and Julie while he was there. Julie was now a teenager. She had stopped asking him about Stephanie. It now became a not-to-be broached subject.

Ranger was going to supper at his parent's house. Julie was staying overnight at her grandparents place. She had fun hanging out with all her cousins. Rachel had been very good about keeping her involved in the Manoso family.

Ranger came from his apartment in Rangeman. He was dressed in blue jeans and a light shirt. He accepted hugs from his sisters and shook hands with his brother and brothers-in-law. He hugged his mom and gave her the flowers he had picked up. He shook his dad's hand and accepted the Cuban cigar he had offered. The men gravitated to the back yard to smoke in peace. Mom had never allowed smoking in the house.

The men stood around and smoked and drank. They caught up on all the man gossip. They argued about baseball and who was headed to the World Series. They ribbed his dad as he barbequed. Everyone had their own way to cook and nobody agreed with anybody else. The atmosphere was loose. Nobody had mentioned Stephanie. It was a subject best left untouched.

Ranger made his way home from the party. It had been a good night but he was glad to be heading back to the peace and quiet of his apartment. He had put in a CD of classical music and was in his driving zone.

He had just stepped into his apartment when his phone rang. It was Tank. "What's wrong that you need to call me this late?" said Ranger. He knew that his best friend would wait until morning unless it was important.

Tank hesitated. "When are you leaving Miami, boss? " Ranger stopped. He had planned on staying a few more days. "Why, is there a problem?

Tank hesitated again. "I was wondering when you were going to Boston. I am starting to hear of some complaints from that office, both from employees and some clients. Something is off there. Can you change your schedule and go there before you head to Atlanta?"

Ranger thought. Miami was running smoothly. His brother was in charge here. He could leave early. Besides that, if he left he would not have to endure the wedding of his second cousin's daughter on the weekend. He could already see his sisters trying to hook him up with female companionship.

He had always believed that they would not relax until he was married again. Just because they were married did not mean he had to be too.

He asked Tank to get him to Boston ASAP.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I am not making any money from this, only enjoyment. **

Boston Blues

Ranger stepped off the plane. He caught a cab to Rangeman Boston. He had not advised anyone that he was coming to town. He had an apartment on sixth floor, and personal vehicles in the garage.

Pulling up to the building, he was already in a grumpy mood. Tank had put him on a flight with no First Class. Ranger had had to endure a crying child in the seat next to him and the flight had been delayed. The movie channel had broken half way through the flight and the passengers were expressing their displeasure. The ride was too bumpy to serve drinks and food.

His mood was sullen. He and Tank were going to have a meeting on the mats when he returned. None of it was his fault, but he needed to take it out on someone, and his best friend would understand.

Ranger paid the cab driver and holding his duffle he walked to the front door. He was already mentally making notes. The front of the building was dirty. The window on the door was coated with dried egg. He stepped into the reception area. The front desk was unmanned. He looked up at the camera and waited, and waited.

He walked to the elevator and pressed a button. The elevator came to the floor and opened. He stepped in with his duffle and proceeded to press every button. The elevator dutifully rose to each floor and opened.

He finally stepped out on five. The control room was noisy. Nobody was sitting at monitors or in any of the cubicles. Nobody had noticed his appearance. There was laughter. He strode quietly up behind the men. They were all watching a monitor. He peeked around. It was a ball game. Boston was playing Miami and the score was tied in the ninth.

Ranger stepped back. He barked, "ATTENTION!" There was an immediate scrambling by all the men. They stood stiffly at attention. He walked through them. He marched to the front of the room. "I do not pay you to watch baseball. Everyone, get to work!" Immediately, there was a mad scramble for monitors, cubicles and the garage. Ranger marched over to Miquel Ramage, the Manager of Rangeman Boston. "In my office, NOW!"

Ranger marched stiffly to his office. Miquel followed behind. They went through the doorway. The door closed. The men looked at each other. Would Miquel come out alive?

Ranger paced in front of Miquel. He was standing at attention. Ranger spoke quietly. A quiet Ranger was usually a very dangerous Ranger.

He proceeded to speak. "What the fucking hell is going on here? This is supposed to be a secured building. The front door was open. The front desk was unmanned. There is dried egg on the front door. The entrance is filthy. The elevator was not secured. I pushed every button up to five and the elevator opened on each floor. Nobody was watching the front reception or the elevator monitor. I should have been met as the elevator opened with guns drawn. I get into the control room and everyone is watching a fucking ball game?" Ranger's voice had risen with each sentence.

Miquel stood silently. He had absolutely nothing to say and did not even attempt to defend himself. He had screwed up and knew it. Mentally he was already packing. He knew that he would be lucky to survive the day.

Ranger spoke again. "You have one hour to clean out your office. You will have two hours to clean out your personal possessions in your quarters. You are being relieved of duty as of this minute. Leave me your forwarding address for your final paycheque. I want your weapons on my desk. You will never work at Rangeman again. Do you understand me?"

Miquel replied. "Sir, Yes Sir!" He quickly divested himself of his shoulder holster, web belt with sidearm, and ankle pistol. He spun around and marched out the door. He moved to his office and started to empty his desk.

Ranger stood in the doorway. "Marty, get Miquel a box and find more boxes for his apartment. You will then escort him to the front door divesting him of his key fob and phone. He is allowed one phone call to call for transportation of him and his gear."

Ranger walked back into his office. He picked up the phone and called Tank. He quickly informed him what was going on.

Tank spoke. "Ranger, who do you want to run that office until we can get someone in there that knows what the hell to do?"

Ranger was already thinking. "Send Manny. I need his expertise here. He can tell me who he thinks gets to stay and who leaves."

Tank was bellowing orders out the door. He was still on the line with Ranger. Manny stepped into the room. Ranger could hear him explain what needed to be done. He heard Manny accept the assignment and leave the room.

Ranger spoke. "Tank, I need him on the first available flight. He will be here for awhile. It is a damn mess here. I'm going to have to spend some serious time straightening out this office. "

Ranger spoke again. "I need someone to go to Atlanta to check them out. Send Lester. He has been moping too long in Trenton. He needs a change of scenery."

Ranger hung up. He could already see that he would need to be doing some serious clean up here. Now he had to go through all the complaints that Tank had been receiving. He would need to take a tour of all the new installs, and upgrades to ensure that they had all been done properly. He would pay visits to all the accounts.

He needed to check out the vehicle fleet, the inventory, the weapons room and the infirmary. He would need to check the operating budget and have a meeting with the accountant.

He was already mentally scheduling the core team here for the foreseeable future.

He grumbled to himself. Miquel had been a very good soldier. Ranger and Tank had worked with him on a number of missions. He had been a good leader and had ensured that his men kept safe. Ranger had waited for a location to open up needing a manager and had hired Miquel almost a year ago. The core team had checked up on the office continually for the first five months and found everything was running smoothly.

Ranger wondered what had happened. It looked like Miquel had stopped being the boss and had tried to be one of the guys. That never worked and Ranger was surrounded by the result. He figured he would be here for an extended period of time.

Maybe it was time to promote Manny. He had been watching him as he became more and more proficient. He knew that Manny was finished his contractual obligations with the government and was on a casual basis for missions. He did not have to go now. He could take over and with Ranger's help, get this ship back on course.

Ranger sat in his chair. He had a lot of phone calls to make.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Janet, it's snowing here again. Can I borrow the guys?**

Sturgis

Stephanie laughed. They were having a ball.

She had never seen so many bikes in all her life. She heard that there were 100,000 people at the rally. There were old bikes, new bikes, retro bikes, homemade bikes, and customized bikes. The people attending were as diverse as the bikes. They were young, old, clean cut, and scruffy. They had come from Mexico to Canada. They were all there for a good time.

She shook her head in amazement. She had never heard of this rally. Nobody wore a helmet. In many cases, there was a definite lack of clothing, male and female. It was really hot and the sweat was running down her back between her shoulder blades. Hot or not, she was adamant. She had absolutely no intention of going without. Her grandma would have been proud of her even thinking of that. Stephanie pursed her lips. What a thing to think after all these months.

She massaged her scalp. Her honey brown hair hung limply. She sighed. Maybe it was time to get a new haircut. She was tired of her style. She had long, straight hair now. Could she get away with a shorter cut? Shower time would be so much easier.

She and Marlo were sharing a room in a hotel just off the main street. It was certainly not five star accommodation but it was certainly adequate for the amount of time they had spent in it. They would party until all hours of the night and then fall into their beds. They would sleep until about ten and get up and start all over again.

Stephanie had taken some breathtaking rides through the Black Hills with different groups. She had partied with lots of new friends. She had a pile of email addresses. She had ridden to Deadwood and actually won enough beer money for the rest of the week.

Tomorrow was the last day and they then had to make the long trek home. They had taken turns driving to Sturgis and had arrived after 30 hours on the road. She was not looking forward to the return trip.

She had a suitcase full of souvenirs. There were the obligatory t-shirts, hats and plates. The hills around were mined for silver and she was coming back with earrings, necklaces and rings for all her co-workers. There were also some very raunchy leather halter tops in her luggage. Stephanie wondered if she would ever wear hers again after Sturgis. She hoped that nobody had taken any pictures of her. What was the saying, 'What happens in Sturgis, stays in Sturgis?'

She was meeting Marlo for lunch. They had hardly seen each other. Marlo had come upon a group of vets and had hooked up with them. They had remembered her from her tour in XXXistan. Stephanie had been welcomed into the group but had not wanted to spoil their fun.

She had found a group of people and had hung out with them. It was quite by accident really. Someone had an Elizabeth Fry flag on the back of their Hog and she had commented on it. They were from Miami and had welcomed her into the group. They were a young group and out to have some fun. She had spent the majority of her time hanging out with them.

As Stephanie waited, an older group of bikers walked by. Their vests were covered in badges. One badge jumped out at her. It was her dad's old unit, the 9th Inf. Div. Stephanie shook her head. What was going on? She had not thought of her family for a long time.

She spied Marlo cutting through the crowd. Stephanie gave her a quick hug. They fought their way to a food stand and ordered lunch. As she was watching the crowd, Stephanie started to chuckle.

She thought of Ranger trying to find salad in Sturgis. She stopped. Her mouth tightened. She tried to banish any more thoughts of him. That part of her life was over.

Trying to hear themselves over the crowd they planned their last evening. They had already watched the nightly parades. They had hung out in bars watching the entertainment both on stage and in the crowd. They had taken a number of trips into the Black Hills.

Marlo spoke over the buzz of the crowd . "I heard of a new road we can ride. It is called the Spearfish Canyon Ride. Some of the guys say it is the best trip around. We will not be able to go fast because of the traffic, but it is supposed to be spectacular. What do you think?"

Stephanie nodded. She wanted to explore a bit more. She had not been drinking too much during the day in anticipation of going on these trips. She was still a real lightweight when it came to drinking. It was sad really. Two drinks and she was practically under the table. What a cheap drunk!

They finished their lunch and headed to their hotel. The sun was hot and they needed some more sunscreen. They checked the fuel in their bikes and headed out. Riding side by side they travelled down the road. It was not a long ride, but was a nice change of pace. There were so many people in town and the surrounding area, it was nice to see only scenery.

All too soon, they returned. The guys had texted them that they wanted the bikes loaded so that they could party for the rest of the night and then leave early in the morning. Stephanie had already volunteered to drive the first shift. Hell, she would probably be the only one able to. They made plans to go out for supper together.

It had been a good week. Their jobs and homes were waiting for them. Stephanie wondered how Q was doing. She had bought her a souvenir too. It was a Sturgis cat nip mouse.

Morning came. Stephanie grimaced at her travelling companions. They were certainly looking the worse for wear. Before turning on the truck she had turned off the stereo. The others would not appreciate any loud noises for awhile. She took off with her companions already asleep.

They usually changed drivers every four hours but she suspected she might be pulling a longer shift. No matter. She was in her own driving zone.

Stephanie stopped for fuel. Her companions whimpered for coffee. She got back in the truck with bags of french fries, cokes and coffee. She knew the Cure, and she hoped they would benefit from it. She was getting a bit tired and ready to hand over the driving to someone else but would keep on until someone had returned to the land of the living.

Marlo was the first to recover. She took the wheel and drove on. Stephanie curled up in a corner and drifted off. She had a lot to do upon her arrival and needed the sleep.

Many, many hours later, the truck stopped in front of her townhouse. They would unload the bikes tomorrow. Everyone just wanted to get out and sleep in their own bed tonight. They had made plans to retrieve their bikes the next evening.

Stephanie opened her door and turned off the alarm. Everything looked like she had left it. She called Abby and arranged to pick up Q in a couple of hours. She really, really needed a shower first.

Before stepping into her shower, she had phoned her hair stylist. Steffie could fit her in in an hour if she hurried. Stephanie agreed. She didn't need any highlights done, but she was ready for a new haircut. She thought she would try the short look and see how that went.

She stepped into the shower and proceeded to scrub away a week of partying.

~~~oOo~~~

Ranger was all business. He had met Manny at the airport and briefed him on the status of the office. Manny was aghast. He too had worked with Miquel. He couldn't believe that the office had fallen so far in so short a time. Quickly they planned their next moves.

"Manny, you take the office and the weapons room. I need to start checking the accounts. Tank thinks it is a real cluster fuck. I need to physically go to each account and see how it is going and allay any concerns or complaints they have. "

Ranger talked as he drove. Now was not the time for silence. "I might need to haul in Hector to check on installations. I think we will be having a rotating group of men coming from Trenton to get this office back in shape. I hope you brought an extra pair of tighty whities."

Manny looked at Ranger and he laughed. They both knew that most of the men went commando. "Hell yeah, Ranger, I even brought my toothbrush!"

They were both chuckling. They would need all the levity in the world to straighten out this mess.

**Thank you for all the reviews and personal messages. That's what keeps us going. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned these amazing characters, but Janet has them under contract. **

What a Mess

Stephanie looked in the mirror. Her hair was really, really short. Steffi had changed her appearance totally. She could hardly recognize herself. Yes, she would try that for awhile.

Stephanie headed for Abby's place. She had a t-shirt and some jewelry for her.

Thanking her, Stephanie picked up Q and her supplies and headed home. Q talked all the way home. It sounded like she was being blamed for a myriad of things and there better be something special in her bowl upon her arrival. Stephanie giggled. She hadn't been scolded for some time. She thought of her mom. Immediately, she sobered. Shaking her head, she continued home.

~~~oOo~~~

Ranger fell into bed each evening. He felt like he was on a mission. His mind refused to shut down. He had mentally calculated their efforts so far. Manny was in charge in the office. He had already made some preliminary observations about the staff and had advised Ranger. Ranger would be making the final decisions and he was not looking forward to the task.

His eyes hurt. He had spent literally hours on the computer going over contracts, complaints, equipment lists, and inventory.

There was a significant amount of equipment not accounted for. He noted that almost everyone seemed to be issued keys to the weapons room.

Vehicles were in horrible shape. Damaged trucks were parked in a corner of the garage. There was no list posted for regular maintenance performed. One of the trucks headed to a call had run out of gas enroute.

He had called Bobby in to conduct fitness testing. Bobby was almost finished testing and he could only shake his head. The men had practically abandoned their fitness regimes. The gym stood empty. The men rarely took the stairs and the elevator was constantly running.

Ranger had closed down the infirmary. He would have Bobby get it back in operation later. The medic had left some time ago and the men had just raided it when they needed supplies.

His long time housekeeper, Louisa, had quit in a huff a number of months ago and Rangeman had been paying a caterer to supply three meals a day. He had taken a look at the menus and the food choices were atrocious. Fried and unhealthy food had taken over from fresh and nutritious meals.

Ranger was deciding if he should re-assign Tank to Boston for the foreseeable future. He would sound him out when they spoke in the morning.

Payroll was a mess. It appeared that the men would be underpaid, then compensated by overpaying them.

The accountant had trouble paying the bills. He was not receiving the purchase orders, requisitions or statements in a timely manner and was struggling. Repeated phone calls had not been returned. He would receive nothing for weeks, then a pile of statements due or overdue. A number of companies were threatening to withdraw their business.

Ranger finally fell asleep. He dreamed that Stephanie had stepped in and was straightening everything out. She was placating the suppliers with her charm. She had smoothed the waters with payroll and had the work schedules up and running correctly. He smiled in his sleep. It was the best sleep he had had in quite some time.

He unconsciously reached for her. His fingers touched only the cold sheets beside him. He woke up in a sweat. It had seemed so real. Ranger knew that he would not get back to sleep. He climbed out of bed and put on his workout clothes. He would see who was down in the gym. It was 4:30 am.

~~~oOo~~~

Stephanie drove to work in her car. She had been away for almost two weeks. She felt very relaxed and ready to return to work. Her happy was back. She hummed all the way to work.

Patricia was already at work. She had taken on the extra workload with Sandy away and she would be happy to see her. Sandy had texted that she would be in in the morning. They would have a meeting and go over what had happened. Patricia had a lot to tell her. Some of it was good. Some of it was bad.

Stephanie was still humming as she walked into the building. She greeted any and all she saw. She popped her head in Patricia's office. Patricia looked up with a sigh of relief. Motioning her in, she saw that there was already a carafe of coffee on the desk with cream and sugar beside it. There were two empty mugs.

Stephanie signalled that she was putting her stuff in her office and would be right back. She walked down the hall to put her gear in her room. A co-worker stopped her on the way back. She was showing her a picture. Stephanie giggled and she continued on. Patricia was sitting behind her desk waiting. Stephanie walked in and closed the door. She figured she would be in there awhile.

Patricia got right to the point. She had already poured a cup of coffee. She always drank hers black. Stephanie took the time to mix hers then she leaned back. Patricia started to speak. "Well, I hope you had a good time. How many hunky guys did you meet anyway? You sent pictures and there was a lot of skin showing. "

Stephanie laughed. She felt relaxed. It had been a very good time. She hoped to go again another year. Quickly she showed Patricia the pictures on her phone. She mentioned about meeting the group from Miami and how much fun they were. She talked about the rides, the parades, the food, the people and the entertainment. Her eyes sparkled.

Patricia got serious. "Sandy, I have good news and bad news. The good news is our success board is overflowing with accomplishments this month. I am crediting the counsellors and their dedication."

She looked down at a spreadsheet. "At the same time, we have lost some funding. I am trying to squeeze every dollar I can to make ends meet. I am beating bushes everywhere trying for more sponsors. I am hoping that we will not have to let staff go. I have taken myself off the payroll. If it can pay for more staff time, I will do whatever I can."

Stephanie gulped. She was not in a position right now to take a pay cut. She had a mortgage to pay, and a car loan.

Patricia looked at her. She had some idea of the financial burdens her staff were under. Some were paying off student loans, and some were single parents. Others were what they called the working poor. Each had their own problems.

Patricia got even more serious. "We also had another break-in last week. The new alarm system worked and the culprits were apprehended. I have already sent a note to Rangeman thanking them for the system. "

Stephanie mentally stiffened. She knew that after an alarm, the system would be re-checked by a senior staff member. Great, she was not looking forward to another visit by the men in black.

She thought back to her encounter in the hall a few minutes ago. She had forgotten to make sure she was not on camera. Mentally she went back to where they were standing. Where had she been? Had she raised her head? Damn, she had been laughing. She had no way to gauge if her reflection would be on tape.

Patricia was watching Sandy. She was having a whole conversation with herself silently. She watched her expression change. Something was going on and it always seemed to be related to Rangeman.

Patricia had carefully checked Sandy's file when she had been away and nothing jumped out. She wondered who she could contact. She still had some markers she could call in but they were very much in her past. She was ready to delve deeper. Her clients could be at risk and Patricia's concern for them would outweigh her affiliation with her staff member.

Stephanie put her empty coffee cup on the tray and stood up. "Patricia, I need to get to work. I saw my desk. Nobody will see me hidden there. I will get my client files back and get to work."

Stephanie opened the door and looked back. "Call me if you want to go for lunch. I have your presents in the car. I don't think you want them here in the office." With an impish smile, Stephanie stepped out.

Patricia stood up. She moved to the door. Quickly looking out she quietly closed the door. She opened up her cell phone and dialed a long forgotten number.

**I will be posting two chapters tomorrow. Hope you enjoy them. Myrna**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Thanks Janet for creating these awesome characters. **

**Thanks to all the reviews. Sorry to not individually acknowledge them right now. I am fighting a stubborn sinus cold. **

Rangeman Reborn

Ranger looked around. He was pleased with the new look.

Manny had done a tremendous job sorting out the personnel. He had made recommendations to Ranger and they had all been implemented. They had let go seven employees. Two for disciplinary problems and the other five for physical and employee readiness standards. All five had failed miserably in both the weapons testing and physical fitness requirement. A number of the remaining men were on probation.

Tank and Woody had arrived last week. Tank had spent a good portion of the mornings on the mats. The men were now re-learning some manners and proper protocol.

Woody was conducting driving evaluations on the remaining employees. He was heading back to Trenton tonight and Lester would be taking his place.

Les was the best person available for teaching the men how to do a proper search request. He felt honored that he was being singled out but he knew he was a sore 2nd choice behind the Bomber. He had learned a lot from her. She could ferret out the most minute detail. He really, really missed her.

They had spent many shifts playing practical jokes on each other. It was all in good fun and they had an invisible line drawn what was funny and what was not.

Ranger was working through the client lists. He had made countless visits to accounts and had made inroads on regaining their trust.

He was down to the final group. These were the new accounts set up in the past four months. There were precious few of them. He shook his head in disgust. Trenton would have this many in a month. He pulled the file folder closer.

~~~oOo~~~

Patricia received a text. She had a meeting booked for tomorrow evening. If there was anything to be found, he would find it.

~~~oOo~~~

Stephanie continued on. She had a niggling feeling and it would not leave. Mentally she prepared to leave. She had already put her beloved bike in storage under an assumed name. She had paid cash.

She had a wad of cash handy. She planned on taking Q with her. She had had to leave one pet behind and was not planning on another. She had her ready bag by the door of the garage.

She constantly checked for trackers under her car. She was well versed over the years where they could be hidden.

Maurice had phoned. She had assured him that she felt safe and had congratulated him on making sure her file would hold up to inspection. She hoped he would not become suspicious.

This time if she left, nobody was going to know where she was heading to. She didn't know either. She planned on driving until it felt right to stop.

~~~oOo~~~

Ranger pulled up to the building. He observed only one vehicle sitting in the parking lot. He climbed out of the Escape and stretched. He had not used his Porsche on customer calls. It would not look good flashing that around as he was soothing disgruntled clients.

He strode to the front door. He looked up. The camera was not positioned properly. He stepped back. He walked around the building noticing discrepancies. He would have Hector add this building to the list needing alterations.

Ranger walked through the door into the front office. It was deserted and all the cubicles and offices looked empty. He cleared his throat. A middle aged lady walked out of her office. "Another Rangeman, I presume?"

Ranger smiled. She was perceptive. He introduced himself. "My name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso. I am the owner of Rangeman. I am in town and wanted to check out some customer's for their opinions and comments on our security system. Do you have a few minutes of your time to bring me up to speed on your requirements?"

Patricia smiled. She loved a take charge kind of guy. He didn't mince words. He got straight to the point. She liked that in a person.

She put out her hand. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Patricia Stevens. I am the Director of Elizabeth Fry."

Motioning him to follow, she led him to her office. "Unfortunately we are a bit short staffed today. There is an in-service and all our client counsellors are attending. "

Ranger smiled. His employees had been having a great number of staff in-services lately too. They were feeling the effects of them, literally and figuratively. Tank was having fun. He had not had this many men to spar with in a long, long time.

Ranger got down to business. "Do you have any concerns with the system? Has your staff taken to it comfortably? Did clients come to the office and if so, were they afraid of it?"

Patricia answered the questions quickly. The clients never met there. They really didn't want anyone to know where their office was. Their files were very secure, she believed.

Patricia thanked him for the quarterly reports on her employees. She was heartened to see that they appeared all above board on their qualifications and lives. She marvelled at the search engines used.

She was half afraid that her own past would be brought out, but her file had been padded so long ago she felt secure with any investigation.

Ranger stood up. He handed her his personal business card. "Thank you for your time. Rangeman appreciates your business. As part of our service, we periodically send in one of our technicians to adjust some cameras. I notice that a few are not pointed as well as they could be. I will schedule one of my technicians if that is satisfactory. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. "

Patricia walked him to the door. She shook his hand again. He had a firm handshake. She liked that.

He opened the door and walked to his truck. She was holding his card in her hand. Unconsciously she licked her lips. If she were 20 years younger, she would love to pursue that man.

For some reason, she thought of Sandy. They looked about the same age. Maybe he would come back and they could be introduced. Lord knew, Sandy needed a friend.

She locked her office door and picked up her bag. She turned on the alarm and locked the front door. She had a plane to catch.

**Yes, I know. I promised. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Janet, they all have 6 packs. Can't one of them be flabby? Oh, yeah, Ranger fired him!**

Its a Small World

Patricia stepped off the plane. She caught a cab and directed him to a small restaurant. Sitting in the back was her contact. He had a folder by his hand on the table. He rose as she approached. They quickly hugged and sat down. They ordered and got down to business.

Silvio looked at his mentor. He had trained under her so many years ago. He gave all the credit to her for his expertise with computers. She was a legend in the investigative world. She had a spidey sense that was scary. Any team with her as a member usually found their objective very quickly. She could cut through the chaff and find the prize.

He nodded to her. He had found enough discrepancies in Sandy Appleton's file that he was concerned. She was involved with at-risk adults. Patricia's first concern was for her clients. She asked for details.

Silvio spoke without the need to read. "Linda, she never existed before last year. I checked her residences. Two of them were vacant lots. Her degree never came from that college. She paid cash for the down payment on her townhome and cash for her motorcycle. She has an impossibly small loan on her car. She had bank accounts that never existed and her current account always has money added on the 5th of each month. I traced the money trail and it disappears in New York. If I had to guess, she is in the Witness Protection Program. I have seen this pattern before."

Patricia nodded knowingly. She had suspected something all along. Thanking Silvio, she left before eating. She paid the bill on the way out. She had a late plane to catch.

~~~oOo~~~

Stephanie wandered aimlessly through her house. She loved it, but now it just seemed like a millstone around her neck. She didn't want to leave, but she was feeling the need to go.

She was not sleeping well and kept dreaming of people picking her locks and entering her home. She kept her drapes drawn and frequently peeked out.

The street appeared normal. She identified all the vehicles on the street. Q was following her around the house. She had sensed her anxiety and talked to her the whole time. Unlike Rex, she had an opinion about everything. Stephanie was unsure if she was being given advice or backtalk. It was past Q's bedtime and she wanted company.

~~~oOo~~~

Patricia let herself into her house. She closed and locked the door. She put her hand in her pocket to put her keys there and felt the business card. She pulled it out. Thinking quickly she decided her next move.

She would ask Rangeman to do an in depth report on Sandy. She already knew what it would show but she wanted someone else to flag this person.

She felt bad. Sandy was a nice person and a very good worker. She was excellent with the clients, but business was business. Her clients could be in trouble if someone was looking for this woman. She got ready for bed. She had a plan.

~~~oOo~~~

Ranger was sitting in his office. He and Tank had just finished another late night meeting. They were feeling more relaxed tonight than they had over the past month.

They felt that the office was starting to resemble a true Rangeman outlet. They were deciding if Manny was up to taking control. He would have lots of help from Trenton for awhile. The core team was committed to making this office work.

Ranger looked at Hector's file. He had been fixing problems at the client premises all week and was almost done. Tomorrow Hector would tackle the Elizabeth Fry office. He had a seat on the plane home tomorrow.

Ranger sighed. He might even sleep tonight.

The gym was noisy. Every machine was in use. The men had all been put on training schedules and so far were working hard. Bobby was coming next week for re-testing. Ranger had advised the staff of this fact. Nobody was using elevators anymore and there was a new attitude in the building.

Ranger's phone rang. It was 5:30 am. He had just stepped off the treadmill and was covered in a light film of sweat. He had a towel around his neck. With one hand he wiped his face with the towel and the other flipped open his phone.

Ranger answered in his usual tone. "Manoso. " The voice on the line hesitated. Ranger saw that the call had originated from the Elizabeth Fry office. He opened the door and signalled Tank to join him. Once again in the quiet of the hall, he spoke. "May I help you?"

This time, the voice on the other line was clear and concise. "I have a small problem and wonder if you could run one of my employees again. Your searches did not pick up anything, but I have reason to believe that the information is not correct."

Ranger had put the phone on speaker. Tank was listening carefully. Ranger asked quietly. "Who are you looking at?" The voice spoke again. "Her name is Sandy Appleton." Tank nodded. He would get Lester on it right away.

Ranger spoke again. "Thank you for your call. Is this a good number or should I check back with you in person?" Patricia hesitated. "If you think it is necessary, please come here. She is scheduled to be in the building all day." Ranger thanked her and hung up.

Quickly he jumped into the shower, dressed and then headed to his office. He wanted to see that file.

Tank had already briefed Les by phone.

Les turned to his computer and smiled. He loved to ferret out deceit. He rubbed his hands in glee. His fingers flew over the keys. His smile grew larger and larger. He printed off the results and headed for Ranger's office.

Ranger and Tank took a look at the search results. Enough things didn't add up and considering the vulnerable population she was around, they couldn't take any chances on her intentions. They started to formulate the take-down.

Hector was in the garage getting ready to head to his last service call. He was just about to climb into his truck when his phone rang. Ranger needed him to delay. He was going to be having some serious back-up. Ranger told him to gear up. What the hell?

**Thanks Megan. That one sentence did it. **

**Sorry readers. You have to wait until tomorrow for the next chapter. Myrna**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I am not making any money, just having fun. **

Busted

Stephanie drove her Civic into her parking spot at work. She had tossed and turned all night. Driving through the Dunkin Donuts drive thru she cradled the coffee in one hand and a Boston Creme in the other. Steering was difficult but she didn't take the time to stop and free one hand.

She had to make a decision. She could not have a coffee in one hand and a donut in the other and still hold her purse and briefcase. She carefully held the donut in her mouth and grabbed the rest.

Stepping out, she closed the door with her hip and used one free finger to press the lock button. Feeling proud of herself, she headed for the employee entrance.

It was strangely quiet in the office. She glanced at the clock on the wall. The room should have been buzzing with activity. She stopped in confusion.

She felt a tingle at the base of her neck. There was only one person who elicited that feeling.

Stephanie stood still. She knew Ranger was near. Now was the time to make a life altering decision. Should she stay? Should she go?

On one hand, she had made a new life for herself. She loved Boston. She loved working with people in need. The Burg was now a memory. Nobody knew that she used to roll in garbage or chase down FTA's. Nobody bet on her here. Nobody gossiped about her every move. She didn't have to worry about her safety. She was just starting to live again.

On the other hand, she was feeling adrift in her life. She was tired of filling her days to the point of exhaustion. She had no close friends. She missed Mary Lou, Connie, and Lula. She missed the guys at Rangeman. She desperately wanted to be able to have a committed relationship and share her life with someone special. She wanted a Someday. She had always hoped that that person would be Ranger. She missed him so very much.

Slowly she put her purse and briefcase down on top of a desk and sat in one of the chairs. She sipped her coffee, ate her donut and waited.

As if on cue, out of the doorways poured the men. Ranger, Tank, Manny, Hector and Lester approached her with guns drawn. They were all fully dressed for a take-down. My God, they had not changed one little bit. Ranger, as usual was leading the charge. Her breath caught. She had seen them in action, but never had she been the objective!

She looked at them. She gave them a little finger wave and said, "Hi guys."

They stopped in confusion. That voice was familiar, but the person sitting in front of them was a complete stranger.

Ranger came up to her. He squinted then smiled and holstered his weapon. He pulled her off the chair and enveloped her tight to his chest. "Babe." The rest of the men came over. They too looked and grinned. Grudgingly Ranger let her go.

She was engulfed by Tanks massive arms. He squeezed her so hard to him, she had trouble breathing. Stephanie squeaked, "Tank, breath!" He whispered in her ear. "Little Girl. I am so, so sorry," and let her go.

Lester grabbed her next. "Beautiful, I missed you so much."

Manny gave her a gentle hug. He whispered in her ear. "I never believed it."

Hector took his turn. He hugged her to him and whispered, "I miss you, Chica."

She was passed from man to man all over again. Everyone gave her another hug and whispered something more in her ear. Her tears fell.

Patricia came down the hall. She stood in confusion. The men had come in earlier and had ushered the entire staff into the back room where they would be safe. They were heavily armed and had a very serious look on their faces. Now, here they were passing Sandy around and grinning like schoolboys.

Sandy was crying and hugging each of them in return.

Patricia looked at them in confusion. Ranger stepped over to her. He said, "She used to work for us. Some things happened and she left suddenly. Stephanie Plum has been masquerading for some time as Sandy Appleton. I don't know how you figured it out, but this is the best thing that has happened to me and to Rangeman in a long time. We have been searching for her for over a year. Thank you for pointing us in the right direction. Besides being very important to me, she is our best security analyst next to our computer genius in Miami.

Patricia stepped up to stand by Stephanie. "I think you need a day off, my dear. Come and see me tomorrow and we will talk." With that, she went down the hall to release her staff.

Hector was bringing in his tool bag. He had a job to do. He would be heading home to Trenton that night. Boy, did he have a story to tell the guys.

Tank, Les, and Manny jumped into their vehicle for the ride back to the office. Ranger stayed with Stephanie.

She gathered up her bags and headed for the door. He followed.

She pressed her key fob and opened her car door. She slid onto the driver's seat. Ranger looked at her and went around to the passenger door. She started the car then drove to her place in silence.

Ranger was also deep in thought. How ironic. She had been at a Rangeman controlled building while they had been hunting for her. She had been hiding in plain sight all along.

Stephanie pulled into her garage and closed the door. She climbed out and closed the car door. She unlocked the house door and disabled the alarm. Q was waiting by the door. She looked at Ranger. She was strangely silent.

Ranger followed Stephanie into the kitchen. He looked around. She had done a nice job of decorating. It looked nothing like her apartment in Trenton. Looking around the room he noticed that there was no cookie jar. She really had moved on.

He accepted a bottle of water and they walked into the living room. Stephanie sat down in the wing chair and Q jumped onto her lap. Ranger sat down on one end of the sofa and he studied her. She looked really good. He opened his water and took a swallow. He waited for her to speak.

Stephanie rubbed Q's ears and scratched under her chin. A loud purr was heard. Ranger smiled. He was not surprised that she had another pet. She needed to give love to something.

Stephanie marshalled her thoughts. "I had a feeling that this was going to end soon. I started thinking of you, of my family, of Rex and the guys a little while ago. I had my duffle ready to leave. I had tied up loose ends. I was ready to ditch my life here and take off. I was going to leave and not look back. This time, I would go where nobody could find me. "

She sighed and continued. "This past year has been so hard. I missed you. I missed my friends. Sometimes I would forget and miss my family. I tried to stay mad at the guys at Rangeman but I just couldn't keep it up. I was being eaten alive by hate." Tears slid down her cheeks.

Ranger jumped up and scooped her up. He sat down in the chair with her on his lap, complete with Q. He rubbed her back soothingly as her tears fell. She leaned her head against his broad strong chest. Her tears stained his shirt. Ranger whispered to her softly in Spanish. Gradually her tears ceased. She sighed.

He spoke soothingly. "Babe, we never stopped looking for you. "

Ranger continued. "I got a call and an escort arrived literally a few minutes after I got your letter. I spent the next six months on a mission that I was unsure I would return from. My recurring thought was that I had to come back to find you and apologize. I wanted to wrap you in cotton baton and hide you in Rangeman forever. I knew you would not like that. You need to fly. "

She curled up on his lap and she relaxed. Stephanie fell asleep feeling safe for the first time in a long time. Ranger held her in his arms. Her hand clenched his t shirt tightly as she slept. He kissed her softly on the top of her head.

Stephanie sighed in her sleep. She murmured, "Ranger".

He pulled out his phone. He pressed a button and Tank answered. Speaking quietly he told him his plan. Tank agreed and hung up.

**Tomorrow is the last chapter of this story. Myrna**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Gee, Janet. Libraries allow us to sign things out and keep them for three weeks.**

Tomorrow

Stephanie woke up. She was lying on the sofa covered with a blanket. Q was laying curled into her side. She could hear noises coming from the kitchen.

Ranger walked into the living room. He crouched by her head and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "Time to get up, Babe. I made us some lunch." Stephanie stretched and dislodged Q from her side. She made a complaining noise and moved away. Stephanie got up. Whatever it was, it smelled really good.

Ranger led her to the breakfast nook. On the counter was his obligatory salad plus a rich looking chicken dish on a bed of noodles. She took a seat and he sat across from her. She spooned both salad and chicken on her plate. He smiled. Her eating habits had improved since he had last seen her. Ranger took a large helping of salad and a little chicken.

They ate in easy silence. Stephanie may have changed but her love of food did not disappoint. She moaned with practically every bite as she cleaned her plate. Ranger kept watching her as she ate. He could not get enough of her. He liked her new look, but he was hoping that she would lose the contacts. He wanted to see those beautiful blue eyes again.

Stephanie seemed to understand. She leaned forward slightly and carefully removed the contacts. He smiled.

They continued to sit in silence. There would be a time to talk about their experiences of the past year. He would wait to see how much she wanted to tell. So much of it must be painful to remember. Ranger started. "Have you any plans now that I have found you?"

Stephanie hesitated. "I just cannot return to Trenton. I want to see Mary Lou and Lula and Connie, Eddie, maybe too. I would like Joe to know that I was not a threat, but I don't think I want to see him. I'm not sure about Val. She refused to take the letter I wrote her. "

Ranger smiled. "Well, Babe. How about we sneak you into Rangeman Trenton and you can have a visit with them. We can then get you out again. Your friends will need to keep your secret, but I am sure they will if it means never seeing you again. "

Stephanie sat with a quizzical look on her face. "And how is the mighty Batman going to arrange that, may I ask?"

Ranger smiled. Tank had already contacted Anthony. He was a pilot and had access to a helicopter. He was also another of Ranger's relatives. He had already agreed to fly them from Boston to Trenton and take them back later. He was waiting for the word to lift off.

Manny would look after Boston for the evening. Tank, Les, Hector, Ranger and Stephanie would fly back with him too. Later, Ranger and Stephanie would return. Ranger was not planning on letting her out of his sight anytime soon.

Stephanie was looking forward to the visit. She wanted to see her friends again. She dressed carefully. Her hair was an easy matter. She left her contacts out. She had no reason to hide. She would not be wandering the streets of Trenton.

Ranger drove them to Rangeman. Everyone was ready to leave. Tank received a call on his phone. He looked at the group. "Anthony is two minutes out. Time to head for the roof."

As they opened the door they could hear the whop, whop, whop of the blades. Anthony was on final approach. He landed and they quickly embarked. The helicopter lifted off.

Stephanie had never flown in one before. She was a timid flyer, but she was surrounded by big, strong, protective friends and she soon relaxed. She looked out the window at the view below. This was certainly different.

Soon Trenton came into view. Anthony headed for the Rangeman building. He gently set it down and the blades slowed. He was going to come in too. Quickly he tied down the blades to the rooftop anchors with the help of Tank and Les. They descended off the roof together.

Ranger guided her to Conference Room C. That had been the last time they had seen her that awful day. Her pace slowed. She started to shake. Ranger hugged her to him and whispered in her ear. Together, hand in hand they walked into the room.

Imagine Stephanie's surprise. The room was filled with Rangemen. Mary Lou, Lula, Connie and Eddie were also there. She was passed around and hugged. There was a mountain of food on the table. It was bedlam. Ranger was smiling. He nodded to Tank and Tank nodded back.

The party was in full swing. Everyone was laughing and happy tears could be seen throughout the room. Stephanie was being passed from one man to another. Each whispered in her ear. She gave hugs to each.

Ella was happily moving dishes around and getting more food. She stopped as Stephanie approached. Ella whispered something in her ear. Stephanie nodded sadly and bit her lip. Ella whispered some more. Stephanie smiled and hugged her. Ella kissed her on the cheek. Stephanie moved on.

She came to Mary Lou. Tears were openly flowing down their cheeks now. They hugged. Lula joined them and then Connie completed the foursome. Stephanie finally moved on.

She gave Eddie a hug and he gave her a kiss on the cheek. He whispered something in her ear and she laughed.

The noise died down. She slipped out of the door and went to the monitors. Junior and Cal were on duty. She quietly went up to them and gave them a hug from behind. They had grins from ear to ear. Their bomber had returned, albeit for a short time.

She went back to the room. Some of the men had left. It was shift change. She greeted the new arrivals with hugs too. Her face hurt from smiling so much.

The noise quieted down. People came and went. Stephanie went up to Mary Lou again. She had hung back after the initial uproar. She sat down with her. Stephanie gave her her new address and phone number and promised to phone.

Mary Lou looked at her best friend. "Is there room on the helicopter for Rex?" Stephanie thought about it. She desperately wanted to see him, but she knew how attached the boys were. Did she want them to suffer? She shook her head no. She knew that he would be well taken care of. Mary Lou understood. She squeezed her hand. "He is one pampered pet. The only time he is in the cage is when they are at school or in bed."

Mary Lou stood up to leave. She had things to do. Lenny was looking after the boys. He had probably fed them ice cream for dessert again and they would take forever to calm down for bed.

Stephanie promised to phone soon and they could catch up. They hugged one more time and Mary Lou walked out the door.

Stephanie looked at Ranger. She nodded. She was ready to go. He caught Anthony's eye. Anthony moved to the door. He would get the chopper ready to leave. They made their way to the door. As they left, Stephanie was presented with a basket filled with cards. She started to tear up once again. She waved as they walked out the door.

Once again they headed for the roof. Tank escorted them. He would secure the door after they left. He gave one more hug to Stephanie and nodded to Ranger. Tank figured he and Manny would be looking after the offices for awhile. He had already called him and told him to hold any calls to Ranger and direct them to him.

The flight back was quiet. Stephanie sat by Ranger. She held the basket close to her. She refused to read any of the cards until she was in the safety of her house.

She held Rangers hand. They looked at each other. His eyes asked the question and she smiled at him and nodded. The helicopter landed. They thanked Anthony and debarked. The chopper lifted off. They made their way down from the roof. Ranger picked up the bag laying by the elevator.

They headed for the garage and climbed into his Porsche. Stephanie sighed. She loved this car. She looked closer. It was slightly different. She looked sideways at Ranger and sighed. He grinned.

He drove to her house. She opened the garage door and he parked inside. Her car was still in the garage at Rangeman. She closed the garage door. She got out of the car, opened the house door and turned off the alarm.

Q was standing by the door. She was once again strangely silent. Ranger followed her into the house with his small duffle slung over his shoulder and Stephanie alarmed the house for nighttime.

She turned to him and put her arms around his neck. They kissed. She walked him to the bedroom. The door closed and Q was left sitting outside the door. She complained loudly.

Tomorrow they would talk about what she wanted to do. Tomorrow they would talk about a future. There was now a tomorrow.

**Thank you for the interesting reviews and personal messages. I cracked up on some of them. **

**Watch for the final story of this trilogy, Getting to Know You, Babe. I won't keep you waiting. I will start posting tomorrow. Myrna**


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